Introduction: The needs of carers of people with life threatening illnesses are largely unexplored in the health system. This pilot program aimed to determine the potential impact of ’90 minutes’ sessions to provide support to carers. '90 Minutes' sessions were based upon an intervention for carers of people attending palliative care services in London .
Methods: 13 carers of patients with life threatening illnesses were recruited from the Palliative Care Outpatient Clinic and Day Oncology Centre. Six closed group sessions of ’90 Minutes’ were conducted over consecutive weeks, facilitated by a social worker and occupational therapist. Emphasis was placed on developing group cohesion through discussion, ownership, mutual support, and opportunities for socialisation. The education sessions were presented by expert speakers, designed to legitimise participants' reasons for leaving their care recipient. Group outcomes were assessed using a survey completed by participants on completion of the program, and observations of the group facilitators.
Results: Participants comprised 9 partners, 1 ex-wife, 2 parents and 1 daughter-in-law. One participant did not complete the program. Participants reported a range of benefits including: speaking with health professionals without the patients, validation of their feelings, reduced isolation and sharing strategies and experiences with others in a non-judgemental environment. The end of life discussion was reported to be the most valuable by participants. Participants chose to continue meeting and formed an ongoing support group over 2 months. Health professionals facilitating the group also gained a clearer understanding of patients' needs through contact with their carers.
Conclusions: The ’90 minutes’ program confirmed that the six psychosocial and educational sessions were an effective intervention in providing benefits to carers of people with life threatening conditions. The informal group structure enabled carers to identify with each other and validate their feelings. Further research to formally evaluate this intervention is warranted.